Collapsible containers, in and of themselves, are not new. Indeed, the art is replete with various proposals to provide a container whose walls may be collapsed to a substantially flat storage condition, yet are capable of being erected to provide an interior volume for accepting a variety of articles. As a non-exhaustive sample of such prior proposals, the reader's attention is directed to the following U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee Issue Date ______________________________________ 3,796,342 Sanders et al. Mar. 12, 1974 4,256,236 Haase Mar. 17, 1981 1,249,099 Huye Dec. 4, 1917 2,577,248 James Dec. 4, 1951 3,490,679 Heller et al Jan. 20, 1970 4,101,052 Dove Jul. 18, 1978 4,498,598 Bae Feb. 12, 1985 4,624,380 Wernette Nov. 25, 1986 4,673,087 Webb Jun. 16, 1987 2,130,019 Meier Jun. 16, 1987 2,130,019 Meier Sep. 13, 1938 3,497,127 Box Feb. 24, 1970 3,658,035 Harris Apr. 25, 1972 1,673,769 Graham Jun. 12, 1928 1,769,019 Flagstad Jul. 1, 1930 3,130,850 Oakey et al Apr. 28, 1964 3,195,506 Beard Jul. 20, 1965 4,214,669 McQuiston Jul. 29, 1980 ______________________________________
As the reader will appreciate from even a cursory review of the above-cited U.S. Patents, one problem with which collapsible containers do not address (to the best of the present applicant's knowledge) is an inability to effectively seal an otherwise removable bottom wall against material leakage. This problem may, for example, be evidenced by the leakage of liquid waste when collapsible containers of the prior art are used as trash receptacles. Or, the problem may be evidenced by leakage of solid materials (particularly finely divided solid particulates) when collapsible containers are used to transport and/or store the same.
Thus, there still exists a need in this art for a container which is capable of being collapsed to a substantially flat configuration (i.e., so as to reduce the space it requires for transport and/or storage during periods of non-use), but yet provides an effective seal against material leakage. It is towards satisfying such a need that the present invention is directed.